Steam-engine



W. A. LIGETEALL.

STEAM ENGINE.

Patented Apr. 14, 1838l ZELE. :www

WILLIAM A. LIGHTHALL, or ALBANY, NEW YORK.

v STEAM-ENGINE.

, YSpecification vof Letters Patent N0.\6'96, dated April 14, 1838.

j To all 'whom it concern:

Beit known that I, WILLAM A. LIGH'i-,

HALL, of Albany, New York, have invented or discovered certain new anduseful I mprovements in `Steam-lilngine's intended for propellingvessels, which combined improvements I vdesignate as Lighthalls improvedhorizontal and beam engine, and that I am" desirous of obtaining apatent for the said improvements. i

The following explanations refer to the` drawings l and 2 accompanyingthis, specication A a the working beam, B Z) the `connecting-rod, C `thecrank, and end of the shaft, c e the crank, E E the piston rod and llink to the lower end of the` beam, F 'the yoke, G g the brace tosupport the yoke, H the connecting rod from the beam to thebell crank ofthe air pump,I the'bell crank for working the air pump, J the.connecting rod from the bell crank to the piston of the air pump, K Kthe air pump and reservoir, L L L the condenser, foot valve, andconnection to the air pump, M the steam pipe,

N `the exhaust pipe to the condenser, O- O l the valve rods,` P theeccentric wheeland rod, 0 fthe rock shaft for working the valves, R Rthe cut 'ofi' valve, T T the keelson or keelson's, E Q the piston rod,UV the center vof crank motion, X the center or fulcrum of the beam, Ythe pinor journal of the connecting rod, l, 2, the-yoke, 3 the point ofcoupling with the connecting rod, 4 L the cylinder.

The following being a description ofthe aforesaid improvements willbemore clearly understood by referring to them drafts or drawings herewithsubmitted. `To obviate many serious inconveniences and existing defectsin the present form and disposition of the steam engines now in use, Ihave combined the leading characteristics of the beam engine, with thoseof the horizontal engine, in order to embrace the advantages of both andavoid the defects of either, and I accomplish this object in thefollowing manner. I lay the cylinder (or cylinders if a double power berequired) horizontally on or upon the keelson T T, and place the workingbeam A a at the proper distance in a vertical position, with its lowerend a at such a height as to range with the piston rod E e in the samemanner as when the working beam is horizontal and the cylinder erect. Ifthe length of the working beam when thus vertically placed correspondswiththe height of the sha-ft C and the center of crank motion U then thearrangement is completed, and the desired effect produced. But ifthefsize. of the` wheel and other circumstances `require the shaft to beplaced lower than on a horizontal level with the upper end of theworkingi beam, I then bend or incline the upper half crarm of the working beamto suchten inclination or angle that a line drawn `from the center orfulcrum X ofthe working beam, to that point where the central'line ofthe connecting rod would intersect it shall beat right angles to a linedrawn from the center of the shaft U tothe said point of intersectionand consequently tothe center of crank `mot-ion; or in other words if aline be drawn from center Ulof the shaft, to the center of the pin orjournal Y of the con-i` necting-rod in the working beam, then a line`drawn from the` center or fulcrum Xof the beam, intersectingat rightangles the former line will givethe requisite bend ofthe `beam or thenecessary deviation Vfrom its vertical and rectilinear direction, withsufficient accuracyfor all practical purposes.

The proper bend or inclinationp o `t e `working beam and the requisitelen th of yoke hereafter specified (z'. e., the roper positionalrelation between the ce ter `of beam vibration and the centerof c ankmotion) can be obtained by other ethods or rules equally well known asthat which I have adopted.

But as in this case considerable accuracy i t-he radius, and of suchlength as to remove` thepoint 3 of its coupling with the connecting rodB b so many degrees forward as it would otherwise be necessary to bendthe` Working beam. This yoke i may be attached to any working beam in avertical position and will be the same in effect as thoughthe workingbeam itself were ben to the angle required.

To secure the yoke in its place a strong brace G g is attached from theupper arm of the working beam, say about the center of its length to theforward end of the yoke near the point 3 of its coupling withthe`connecting rod which brace will givein all cases the necessary firmness.Thus it will be seen that the yoke is a substitute for the` weightinstead of being as it now is a necessary and unavoidable incumbrancewill act in a great measure as judiciously stowed ballast. Y

That in vessels of war or armed steamers all the essential and vitalparts of the` machinery will be completely protected from an enemysfire, and that the acting engiy ner can perform his duty not only withsafety but with that self possession which `personal security couldalone insure.

Should additional power be required, two cylinders similarly placed onopposite sides of the beam in line with each other might be worked uponthe same beam, or one could be doing the work while the other wasVundergoing repairs, almost essential for vessels navigating the ocean. l

In vessels calculated for shallow waters by the application ofthe yokeor the bent working beam, any length of'stroke may be obtained with thecylinder lying horizontally on the keelson without any loss -of power,and with lthe cylinder thus firmly attached to the keelsons there willbe less jar and of course less strain and injury to the vessels thanwhen the cylinder is raised v' or supported on the deck beams or on aframe at a distance from the keelson.

The arrangements of the essential improvemnets having been described itis thought unnecessary to specify in detail the slight variations whichAmight be. required or deemed expedient to be made in the relativesituation of its minor parts. Such changes may be made in a variety ofways and would naturally suggest themselves to 2. The relative andcombined disposition of the cylinder, the beam-'working vertically, withit and the crank, to wit, the cylinder lying horizontally 'on or uponthe keelson or keelsons Vat right angles to the lower end of the workingbeam,'while the Lipper end of said beam is in connection with and givesmotion to the crank upon the shaft. iV Y Y 3. The curved or bent*working beam,

working vertically in'combination vwith the horizontal lcylinder intheir relative and combined vdisposition as herein before intended to bedescribed, and as shown in the drafts or drawings accompanying thisspecification. l

l. To avoid bending the working beam in cases inwhich it is desired toplace the shaft lower than on a horizontal level with the upper end ofthe working beam, I claim the yoke herein before specified incombination and connection with the vertical workingbeam, working`vertically and also in combination with those combined disposition ofparts, as set forth and described in the irst and second foregoingclaims. v

All of which together with the drawings and models herewith presented isVrespectfully submitted.

v ILLIAMJL LIGHTHALL.

Signed in the presence 0f-.

JAMES N.'PLATT, ALEX. HAMILTON, Jr., HAMILTON MoRroN.

